CAREER: Atilla began singing in public in 1911 and, between the early 1940s and 1950s, sang at the Original Old Brigade Tent. He was the first calypsonian to hold public office when he was elected to the Port-of-Spain City Council in 1946. He was later elected to represent East St. George County in the Legislative Council in 1950. The melody of Atilla's "Calypso Behind The Wall" was popularized by American singer Harry Belafonte who recorded it as "Jump In The Line." His other calypsoes include:

1935 - Women Will Rule The World; History of Carnival

1937 - Intercolonial Tournament; Roosevelt in Trinidad; Mrs. Simpson

1938 - The Banning of Records

1945 - The Iron Band

1946 - Daily Mail Report

1947 - Million Dollar Jail

Also - I Don't Want No Bungalow; Iere Now and Long Ago (with Lord Beginner); Treasury Scandal; The Strike; Where Was Butler?; The Governor's Resignation; Mr. Nankivell's Speech; Commission's Report; The Five Year Plan; Vagaries of Women; Women Are Good and Women Are Bad (with Lord Beginner); Friends; Martiniquen; Exploiting; Monkey; Calypso Behind The Wall; Not Me with Matrimony; Dynamite; Freddo; The Scandal; Graf Zeppelin; Guests of Rudy Vallee (with Roaring Lion); Good Will Flyers; Pomme Majais; Zingue Talala; Archi Bolay; Woman Is Not the Weaker Sex; The Red Cross Society; Young Girl's Touch (with Lord Beginner); Friends; I Will String Along With You (with Roaring Lion); If I Won a Sweepstake; Duke and Duchess of Kent; West Indian Federation; Modern Times

AWARD:

1972 - Trinidad & Tobago Public Service Medal of Merit Gold (for Public Service and Calypso - posthumously)